What Is an Artist in Velveteen
Updated June 11, 2026
An artist in Velveteen is a performing identity: the name that appears on DSP store pages, in playlist credits, and in release metadata. It is not your user account. One account can manage multiple artists, and each artist belongs to a label that owns the releases.
The word "artist" means different things depending on context. In Velveteen, an artist is a specific, defined entity: a performing identity attached to releases, separate from your login account and separate from the label that owns the music.
What an artist is in Velveteen
An artist is the performing identity that appears on DSP store pages, in playlist credits, and in the "Artist" field of your release metadata. When a listener searches for your music on Spotify or Apple Music, they find it under the artist name.
The artist entity is not your user account. You could change your personal login email without affecting a single artist profile. Think of the artist as a container for your creative identity, and your account as the administrative wrapper around it.
Babbage
Under ReviewVelveteen Records · 12 releases
One account, multiple artists
A single Velveteen account can manage as many artist profiles as you need. If you produce under one name, DJ under another, and record with a band, all three can live in the same account. You switch between them in the sidebar and manage their releases, pitches, and royalties independently.
Tip
Artist vs. label: who owns what
In Velveteen, every artist belongs to a label. The label is the owner-of-record for releases and holds the master rights. The artist is the performer credited on those releases. For most independent artists this feels redundant (you are both), but the separation matters if you ever sign other artists or need to demonstrate chain of title.
Artist
The performer. Credited on releases, appears on DSP pages, carries profile metadata. Does not hold rights.
Label
The rights holder. Owns master recordings, collects revenue, enters the distribution agreement. The artist performs for (or as) the label.
Frequently asked questions
Can two artists on my account have the same name?+
Yes. Velveteen does not enforce unique artist names across your account. That said, DSPs use artist name plus identifiers (Spotify Artist ID, ISNI) to distinguish performers. Two profiles with identical names and no identifiers may get merged or confused on delivery. Give each project a distinct name to keep downstream catalog clean.
How do I link my artist profile to Spotify for Artists?+
Claiming your Spotify for Artists profile happens through Spotify's own process, not inside Velveteen. Once your first release goes live, Spotify creates the artist page automatically. You then claim it at artists.spotify.com. Velveteen stores the Spotify Artist ID once it is known, which improves delivery metadata for future releases.
What if I'm featured on someone else's release?+
Featured credits on a release you're distributing are added as track metadata, not as a full artist entity in your account. A full artist entity is only needed when you are the primary releasing artist distributing that project.
Can I transfer an artist to a different label?+
Label reassignment for an existing artist is handled by Velveteen support. The label of record on releases already delivered stays fixed. Contact support if you need an artist moved to a different label within your account.
Does deleting an artist delete its releases?+
No. Velveteen will prevent you from deleting an artist that still has active or pending releases. Take down or transfer those releases first. Deleting an artist with no active releases removes the performing identity but leaves archived release records intact for royalty purposes.
Related articles
Overview
A complete guide to artist profiles, from setup and metadata to DSP identifiers, credits, approval, and trust declarations.
Artist metadata
Every field on an artist profile: what it does, whether it syncs to DSPs, and when you need it.
Artists vs labels
Who owns what, and why an independent artist is usually both the artist and the label.